Chapter Fourteen: The Secret Life of Severus Snape

Author's Note: And more surprises ahoy. I realized that these look weird without something up here.

For most of the following day they were curled up together in the mysterious disappearing room on the seventh floor. Odder still was the fact that the room had completely changed. Where there had once been a huge Quidditch practice arena to a small cozy room with a huge four post bed, polished hard wood floors and a fireplace.

Whereas the day before Ginny was obviously nervous, she seemed completely at home today. For the past three hours they had been slowly studying, though Ginny's nudity made it hard to keep her eyes on any book—a feeling that Hermione wasn't used to having. In the soft flickering fire light Ginny's freckles were easier to see than they had been on the roof top and it seemed there wasn't a two inch patch of skin without one.

Hermione rolled so that she was laying on her stomach and slid her potions book back to where she could read it. Ginny clambered up onto her back resting her chin down on her shoulder. "Hmm," the soft note escaped Hermione.

"Nothing," Ginny said with a chuckle. Her skin was cool on Hermione's back and slightly slick. There was a sharp pinch and Hermione shot her gaze to the side to see Ginny nibbling at her shoulder. "Do you know what I noticed?" she asked.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"That Williams guy…the Agent, he kept the riding crop."

"Why you worried? Planning to make use of it?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe," she said averting her eyes.

"You know that bloke had an eye for you, right?" asked Hermione.

Ginny dragged her foot along the side of Hermione's leg. "I don't think so…"

"Oh Hell, he was Ginny," Hermione said. "He practically jumped on the chance to take you into custody."

There was a sound above, like someone running. Odd thing about the room was that it seemed to change size and shape but somehow still exist in the castle. Ginny stared Hermione in the eyes. "What is it with me and black guys?" she asked.

A smile spread across Hermione's face. "Are you talking about Dean Thomas?" asked Hermione.

"Maybe. You know there are some advantages to it…"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come off it, Ginny," she started, "you've never even seen one."

"How would you know?"

"I just know," Hermione said.

"Okay—you but you're not going to believe it…"

"What?"

Ginny combed her fingers through Hermione's hair. "I was using the prefect's bathroom for some alone time, typically no one comes in there…and Cedric Diggory and that Cho girl, the one Harry used to be all hot for, burst in there and started shagging like apes or something…"

"…oh my God…" Hermione laughed. "Did they see you?"

"Luckily, they were too busy with each other. But do you know what Cho called his…well you know?" asked Ginny.

"What?"

"His Bologna-Pony…" said Ginny giggled.

"I really can't stand Cho," Hermione said. "She tried to be nice and all, but she was just too weak and weepy—she cried over Cedric graduating while trying to get Harry to snog her."

"That is pretty dismal. Some of her friends pick on Luna a lot," said Ginny.

"Luna is a bit odd, but that doesn't give people the right to pick on her. And she's never been anything but nice from what I've seen."

"She's really quite lovely, can't understand why they pick at her," said Ginny.

Hermione slammed her book shut and sighed. "We shouldn't stay up here all day, it'll be time to eat soon and people might think we've had another joyride on a Portkey if we don't show up," she said.

"Not like I was going to let you get any work done, anyway," Ginny snickered. She kissed Hermione on the back of the neck. "I was kind of hoping we could hang about here for a while longer," she said. "I just wanted to give you something…" Ginny scooted back on the bed until she was up on her knees.

"What's that?"

"Just roll over and I'll show you," Ginny said and Hermione rolled over and then sat up. She pulled Ginny toward her and their lips met gently. Slowly, Ginny guided her back onto the bed. From her crooked position on the bed, Hermione caught a glimmer of something fierce in Ginny's gaze and before she knew it the younger girl was kissing her inner thigh.

"Oh…okay, it's that kind of showing then," Hermione let out a dopey chuckle.

They had been naked so long in the room that Hermione had nearly over looked the fact but as Ginny wasted no time nuzzling her face between Hermione's legs she was quickly brought back to that reality. The first sensations were teasing and Ginny's movements seemed exploratory, though bold at the same time. It wasn't until there was a moment of clarity through her anticipation that Hermione her stifled breaths were in cadence with the stroke of Ginny's tongue and the brush of her lips.

When the tension broke Hermione felt as if she was melting into the bed, her whole body was drenched in a wave of warmth, following by the rush of the cold air against her skin. The air in the room hadn't seemed cold until then. She held tight to the side of Ginny's face and the back of her head until the final shuddering cries escaped and then she lay very still with her brown eyes staring up at the ceiling.

For a few moments there was an overwhelming greed that clouded everything else in her head. She wanted to cry out for Ginny to do more, but the thoughts ebbed out like the tide and she was left trying to catch her breath and trembling slightly against the air.

Ginny lay against the inside of her leg so that her next words reverberated off Hermione's thigh. "So are you still ready to go?" she asked.

Hermione drank in large gulps of the air. Every one of her senses was heightened, there was a ringing in her ear and the drag of Ginny's fingers against her leg threatened to drive her into insanity. "We need to stay here for a moment," she said between breaths, "I don't think I can walk."

Ginny and Hermione stole off to Myrtle's bathroom (because it was on the way, not because they wanted to deal with the ghost) to wash up before dinner. As they walked Hermione slowly returned to herself, though she seemed to have a slight hint of a glow about her. Entering the bathroom Hermione instinctively called out. "Myrtle, are you here?" there was no answer. "Well, we still can't do anything, she could come bouncing in at any time and you know what a pervert she is…" Hermione said.

"I know…kind of in a hurry so we can go eat," Ginny said.

"I guess we kind of had to come in here though," Hermione smirked.

Ginny giggled nervously. "Yeah, I can't go down to dinner with you all over my face, now can I?"

They undressed and climbed into the baths, washing quickly to avoid facing Myrtle. As if on cue, while they were pulling on their underwear the ghost appeared through the back of a toilet stall. "What are you two doing in here?" she asked.

"Washing up before dinner, Myrtle," Hermione said.

"I see. Little late for a bath if you ask me," Myrtle said. "Though I wouldn't know since I can't take them…did you come here to tease me with it?"

"No, we're just here because it's close, Myrtle. Witch's Honor," Ginny said. For some reason she seemed to listen to Ginny more.

"Well then, I'd like to thank you anyway, Granger-Girl. You got Harry to come in here and I had him all to myself for two whole hours," said the ghost.

"Two hours, he must think you're a very special girl," Hermione chimed.

There was a crash at the door and Ginny and Hermione glanced to each other. Myrtle still spoke. "Was that sarcasm?"

Snape's voice broke the air. "In here…if we catch someone we'll just inquire as to what they're doing alone in the bathroom in the middle of the evening, no one uses it here," Snape said.

A second voice giggled a cackling laugh that echoed through the room. Hermione and Ginny pulled Harry's cloak from the bag and clambered under it, there was no time to pick up their things. They shuffled into the corner and Myrtle sighed. "Vanishing on me now are you?"

Ginny and Hermione squatted down to hide their legs. Snape rounded the corner with a beautiful woman with long, black flowing hair trailing down her back. She was dressed elegantly but in a somewhat gothic fashion. Snape aimed his wand at Myrtle. "You—who were you talking to in here?" he asked.

"No one I guess," Myrtle responded hovering in front of Snape.

"Then, leave," he ordered her. Myrtle complied forcing herself down one of the toilets and out of sight. Snape and the woman were kissing at once and Ginny almost wanted to vomit when she realized what was going on. Worse still was the fact they couldn't leave, Myrtle had left the floors sufficiently wet and any attempt to leave would be loud.

Snape ripped the woman's shoulders from the dress, kissing his way down them. She pulled at his greasy black hair, tugging him in toward the path she wanted him to take. "What would my idiotic cousin say if he knew I was shagging Snivellus behind his back?" she said as he revealed more of her milky skin and drew the dress down over her body.

"Now Bella, you know I try not to even think of Sirius, lest I vomit right here and now. But I could ask the same about your husband," Snape spoke in a raspy, exuberant tone that Ginny knew she had never heard him use.

"Bella…Bellatrix Lestrange—Sirius's cousin?" Hermione whispered suddenly. "Do you think that's why Snape was in here the last time?"

The sound of the water running covered for them. "You think?" Ginny thought back to the last time he was there and his lame excuse. And how he was always sulking about the castle alone.

"One of the students has left her skirt and tie here," Bellatrix pulled away from Snape to retrieve the items, Ginny's items. She threw the tie over her head and tightened it. "Would you find it alluring if I slipped myself into this tiny skirt?" she asked.

"Mm, do you think you could?" asked Snape.

"She better not," whispered Ginny a little too loud. "Her bloody Irish-Hips are going to stretch the hem all out…"

All at once the whole bathroom froze. There was a frantic scream out in the hallway and someone was running nearer and nearer. A shrill voice cried out, laden with sobs. "It's Draco! Someone get Madam Pomfrey! Quick!"